What started as jumbled words in kindergarten grew up to the mighty mind-game unscramble with millions of fans all over the world. The puzzle is known to test your analytical skill and vocabulary at the same time. you can play this game solo as well as with a bunch of friends.
The puzzle is so popular that most newspapers have a daily column for it. While being a pro requires practice and patience, there are some tips and tricks that make unscrambling easier. If you are a beginner, you can use websites like unscramble me for help.
Let us have a look at 10 tricks to quickly solve the unscramble.
10 Tricks to ace through your unscramble puzzle this week:
- Concentrate on smaller words, preferably 2 letter words: Scrabble is all about scoring points. If you go by the advice of pro players, they would always suggest you go with 2 letter words. The reason? There are several of them. Plus, it is easier to make them. If you wish to make 3 or more letter words, it will require so many squares to be empty or have the same words. But that is not the case with 2 letter words. All you need to do is learn all such words. These words can be of Greek, Roman, Latin, or English origin. They fetch you 50 points. So, if you wish to have a good start or maintain the lead in the game, go for the 2-letter words.
- Break down the word complexity: Scrabble is a unique game in terms that you can get several words from the same combination of jumbled words. And each word fetches different points. So what matters most is how well you can write the most point-fetching words. As we have highlighted in the first point, always go for 2-letter words, then 3-letter words, and so on.
- Remember ETAOIN SHRDLU: This may look like gibberish but when it comes to scrabble, it is our ultimate friend. Of the 5 vowels, 4 already feature in ETAOIN. Pick the one available to you and then look for the slots on the board where they fit to form a 2-letter word. Also, words without vowels fetch more points. So, get a free consonant and then try combining it with another available consonant to form a word.
- Look for digraphs: Digraphs are 2-letter words that make a common sound. The 5 most common digraphs are AI, SH, EA, OI, and TH. So, look for the digraphs on the bord and then make the words. Like, if you found TH, then you can make THAT, THERE, THIS, THATCH, and so on.
- Get BINGOs: Ask any pro player and they will admit that getting at least 2 BINGOs in a game is crucial to win. So, how do you get them? BINGOs are the words you make by using all 7 tiles in a single play. This, of course, requires immense effort on your side. You need to memorize BINGO words and BINGO stems that eventually help you in forming 7 or 8 letter words. Also, you cannot make the BINGO word in a single go. You need to play your game in a planned way so that all the tiles align accordingly.
- Go for HOOK words: HOOK words are the ones that you can attach at the beginning(front hook) or end(back hook) to make a new word. This trick lets you score points from an already made word. Some HOOK words are a(way), b(rush), (grave)l, (ape)x, and so on.
- Memorize high-scoring words starting J, Q, W, and X: People seldom know more than 10 words starting these letters. However, these words carry the highest points. So, an easy way to get leads on the tally board is to memorize the words starting these letters. And, what could be easier to do so than the 2-letter words. Consult the official scrabble dictionary and just rote down all those words for some quick points. Some examples are ox, ex, xi, zu, and so on.
- Place English suffixes and prefixes for more words: Have you noticed that by simply adding a suffix or prefix, yu get a new word? So, why not utilize this strategy to gain cookies? Try placing a suffix at the beginning of a word or a prefix at the end and then create the word. This will help you in quick word-formation.
- Go for double letters: Nothing can be more accurate than double-letter words when it comes to scoring. If you have double letters available, then go for the words like buzz, hassle, throttle, and so on.
- Go for heavy words with vowels and consonants: Scrabble players often find themselves in tricky situations when there are either too many vowels or consonants on the board. The only way to manage it is by forming heavy words using the available vowels and consonants.
Also Read: 10 Tricks To Ace Through Your Unscramble Puzzle This Week
And the only way to do that is by memorizing them. Some of the heavy vowel words are:
- Ai
- Ae
- Moo
- Woo
- Woe
- Eau
- Ae
- Aa
- Oe
- Oi
- Ciao and so on.
Some of the heavy consonant words are:
- Shh
- Tsk
- Psst
- My
- By
- Try
- Thy
- Scry
- Spy
- Sty
- Xyst and so on
Conclusion
Scrabble is a unique mind game that can actually get to your nerves. Once addicted, you will feel a constant urge to play it. But that is not the end. You need to upgrade your game constantly to score more in minimum moves. And these tricks will help do that.
While most people go for the conventional board game, there are ample online games available too. They allow you to pay with multiple players while being on the move or from any geographical location. This has attracted even the newer generation to this age-old puzzle.
